7-letter words with M as the 2nd letter and U as the 4th letter

This is a lean frame, and a lopsided one on dictionaries: fewer than half the words pass ENABLE. With the U sitting right after an MP, MB or MM block, most entries come from the IMP-, IMB- and IMM- families.

Quick facts on the M_U frame

• 29 words fit, and 2 are common English.
• I opens 12 words, A opens 6, E opens 5 and S opens 5.
• S ends 13 words, D ends 5 and R ends 4.
• AMAUTIK scores 13; IMPUTED, IMBUING and IMMURED score 12.
• 23 have a definition, and the average score is 10.7.

Which word families appear?

Check the pair just before the U. IMP- gives IMPULSE, imputed, impugns and impurer. IMB- gives IMBUING and imburse, and IMM- gives IMMURED, immunes and immures.

The A group is smaller, with AMOUNTS, AMPUTEE and ampulla, and it is the best place to look if the first letter is not I. Together the three I stems above supply most of the I words. The E group adds embused, embuses and emeutes, plus the odd empusas and empuses.

How well do the dictionaries agree?

Poorly. Collins lists 26 of the 29, NWL2023 lists 18, and ENABLE lists only 14, which is under half. A player on an ENABLE-based app will see most of the list refused.

AMAUTIK and AMAUTIS, borrowed from Inuktitut for a type of parka, are the names to watch. Check your game's word list before you try them.

Plain English entries such as amounts, impulse and amputee are the easier plays. Save the Inuit loans for a Collins game, where a 13-point option is worth the risk.

A shortcut